Disposable mat



L. E. HIGHLEN 2,826,778 fnIsPosABLE MAT Filed bee. 12, 1955 yMax-ch 18, 1958 .z ai?. -f-, 8 v

INVENTOR www n ,MJ fm 7 United States Patent vO DISPSABLE MAT Lester E. Highlen, Clarkston, Mich. Application December 12, 1955, Serial No. 552,453 4 Claims. (Cl. 15-215) This invention relates to a disposable mat primarily adapted for indoor use adjacent entrances of dwellings and Iother buildings on which shoes may be wiped for removing dirt and moisture therefrom which would otherwise be tracked through the enclosure. v

More particularly, it is an aim of the present invention to provide a mat possessing good absorbent qualities by means of which a substantial amount of moisture can be removed from the bottoms of shoes and other footwear and which mat, dueto its inexpensive construction, may be disposed of after use either by burning the mat or disposing of it as trash or rubbish.

A further aim of the invention is to provide an inexpensive disposable mat which, in spite of its inexpensive construction, will last for a considerable period of time and will be capable of absorbing a substantial amount of moisture and of collecting a substantial accumulation of dirt and other foreign matter before the mat ceases to be useful and must be disposed of.

Still a further object-of the invention is to provide a disposable mat well adapted for substantially any indoor use, as for example as a bath mat or elsewhere in a dwelling or enclosure where it is desirable to remove moisture or dirt from the soles of the feet or footwear.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent :from the following description of the drawing, illustrating a presently preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein:

Figure l is a fragmentary plan view of the mat;

Figure 2 is an enlarged'side elevational view, partly in section thereof;

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the mat taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 3--3 of Figure 1, and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view on a substantially enlarged scale illustrating a small portion of the mat with certain of the parts separated from their normal fully 4assembled positions.

Referring more specifically to the drawing, the disposable mat in its entirety and comprising the invention is designated generally 5 and includes a shallow pan-like base 6 formed of a waterproof material such as a moisture-proof paper and including a substantially flat bottom f 7 and upstanding side walls 8 and end walls 9 which are suitably joined and sealed at the corners thereof to dene the liquid-tight receptacle 6. While the receptacle 6 has been shown as rectangular, it could obviously be square if desired.

The mat 5 also includes a filler, designated generally 10, composed of a plurality of strips of conventional corrugated fberboard (commonly known as corrugated cardboard), each of which is designated generally 11, and portions of two of which strips are clearly illustrated on an enlarged scale in Figure 4. Each strip 11 includes an undulating intermediate ply 12 interposed between substantially flat straight outer plies 13.

The strips 11 are cut to lengths slightly less than the spacing between the walls 9 and are arranged on edge ice on the bottom 7 in abuttingrelation to one another and parallel to the walls 8, so that ythe interior of the pan-like kbase 6 is 'lilled by the mat ller 10 composed of the tightly packed strips 11. The strips 11 are preferably of a width slightly less than theY height ofthe walls 8 and 9 so that the upperedg'es thereof dening the top surface of the filler 10 are disposed slightly below the upper edges of the walls S and 9.

Strand elements 14 of cord, twine or other similar material extend transversely through the liller 10 including each of the strips 11 and through the walls 8, and said strands 14 are knotted as seen at 15 with the knots disposed against the outer sides of the walls 8. Each strand 14 can be drawn tightly before one of the knots 15 thereof is tied, for tightly compressing the filler 10 and so that the receptacle-like base 6 will be tightly held around the bottom and sides of the filler 10.

It will be readily apparent that the strips 11 could extend parallel to the walls 9 rather than to the walls 8 and in which case the strand elements 14 could then extend parallel to the walls 8 and through the walls 9.

The strips forming the filler 10 are held suficiently compressed by the strands or ties 14 so that the soles of the shoes or feet may be wiped on the upper surface of the filler 10 for removing moisture and foreign matter therefrom. A substantial part of the moisture will be absorbed by the corrugated filler strips 11 and any moisture not absorbed will be collected in the bottom portion of the pan-like base 6. After the mat 5 has been used until it is badly soiled or substantially saturated with moisture, said mat may be disposed of either by burning or as rubbish or trash. It will be apparent that the mat 5 may be very economically manufactured and sold and readily adapts itself for indoor use adjacent entrances or elsewhere in a dwelling or other enclosure.

Various modifications and changes are contemplated and may obviously be resorted to, without `departing from Ithe spirit or scope of the invention as hereinafter defined by the appended claims.

I claim as my invention: v

1. A disposable mat of the character described comprising a base formed of a moisture-proof material including a substantially flat bottom and upstanding marginal walls combining with one another and with said bottom to form a substantially liquid-tight open top receptacle, a mat filler disposed in and substantially filling said receptacle, said mat filler comprising strips of corrugated berboard closely packed together in parallel relation to one another within said base, strand elements extending through the filler strips and through opposite marginal walls of said base which are disposed parallel to the strips, and abutment elements anchored to the strand elements and held thereby in tight engagement against the outer sides of said walls ifor drawing said walls toward one another to compress the strips together between the walls into a compact mass forming the mat filler and for securing the base to the mat filler.

2. A disposable mat comprising a body portion formed of a pluralityof strips of an absorbent material arranged in closely packed side by side relation to one another, a base of waterproof material underlying yand closely surrounding said body portion, strand elements extending through the individual strips of the body portion and through parts of the base which are disposed parallel to the strips, and abutment means anchored to the strand elements and held thereby tightly against outer sides of said base parts for drawing the base parts together for compressing said strips together and for securing the base to the compressed body portion.

3. A disposable mat as in claim 2, said base comprising a shallow substantially liquid-tight receptaclelformed of a waterproof paper.

4. A disposable mat as in claim 2, said strips com prising corrugated cardboard disposed on edge and having substantially coplanar upper edges forming the upper surface of the body portion of said mat.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS i 232,336 Cooley Sept. 421, 1880 4 Crooker July 11, 1916 Taylor Nov. 2l, 1916 Suess Oct. 26, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain June 8, 1894 France Dec. 7, 1905 

